I'll Protect the Tyrant Daddy! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
The next morning, Grandmother sent a message at five in the morning.
I shuffled into fresh clothes from my nightgown and headed to the Duchess’s townhouse where Grandmother was staying.
Leonhardt and I, both bewildered, were entering a new chapter of our lives.
Though he must have been startled by being suddenly summoned for training, Leonhardt was my splendid subordinate and friend.
It meant she thought it best to keep us together and improve our skills side by side.
I giggled mischievously, hiding my ulterior motive.
Leonhardt gave a slight nod but seemed unwilling to question further.
The Duchess, watching us standing side by side, spoke sternly.
“I do not teach children who fall short of my standards.”
Thus began Grandmother’s cold-hearted test.
Before imparting any instruction, Grandmother decided to briefly assess what abilities Leonhardt and I possessed.
Unlike during the Academy Director’s test, I had no need to downplay my abilities in front of Grandmother.
For me, a reincarnator, her test was far too easy.
Common sense test—perfect score.
Judgment test—perfect score.
And finally… the most important magic aptitude test remained.
“Close your eyes and sense the mana within your body. I shall then check how much mana is accumulated inside you.”
Leonhardt and I nodded simultaneously.
Grandmother first approached Leonhardt. I watched them with half-closed eyes.
“Your vessel is entirely different from your parents’.”
‘Your parents? Vessel? Is she referring to Leonhardt’s adoptive parents?’
Truthfully, the novel never mentioned anything about Leonhardt’s parents.
I wondered what she meant, but strangely, Leonhardt offered no reply.
“As I suspected even back then—you’ll become quite an exceptional talent if properly trained.”
At Grandmother’s words, I smiled proudly.
My heart felt ready to burst with pride at having won over such an extraordinary talent.
‘Leonhardt really is capable!’
Just then, Grandmother looked at Leonhardt with a disapproving expression and asked,
“But aren’t you staying at Axel’s mansion?”
“…Ah.”
“Why maintain such a close relationship with Cien when you could be learning from that boy?”
Indeed, as she said, Leonhardt was staying at Axel’s mansion due to his adoptive father and mother.
Yet he was also the kind of child who could easily switch sides depending on circumstances. After all, in the world of villains, betraying and being betrayed were common occurrences…
‘There’s an old saying: two villains cannot coexist under one sky—I remember Leonhardt eventually clashing with Axel.’
Though Grandmother might feel uneasy about teaching Leonhardt if she distrusted Axel, it would be fine—she’d surely come to see that Axel was a good boy once she got to know him.
But how Leonhardt would navigate this situation was another matter entirely. If he showed even a hint of defiance…!
“Axel or not, I’m going to get close to Bamtol.”
“…Hic.”
That was far too defiant an attitude.
I blinked rapidly, watching their expressions like a shrimp caught between two whales. Grandmother stared expressionlessly at Leonhardt for a long while before quirking the corner of her mouth upward.
“Well then, so be it.”
Strangely enough, Leonhardt’s answer seemed to please Grandmother completely.
Feeling satisfied that the situation had resolved, I observed them with half-closed eyes—when suddenly,
“Let’s see.”
Duchess Lukella reached out to lift the boy’s chin.
“From now on—”
At that exact moment, Leonhardt roughly slapped her hand away.
I looked at him in surprise. The atmosphere grew as sharp as walking on knife blades.
“Do not touch me.”
“…”
“Mask.”
Why?
It was clearly rude to say such a thing to a superior.
Yet why did he look like a kitten hissing after its territory had been invaded?
He seemed lonely, as though he’d erected a protective barrier he never wanted in the first place.
I gently tugged at Leonhardt’s collar beside me.
He bit his lip tightly and said nothing.
Grandmother glanced at him, then turned her gaze to me without asking further.
“Now, Honey, it’s your turn.”
‘Honey jar, honey bun, bun, honey…? I’ve been wondering since last time—could she possibly be talking about me?’
I clearly have the name Cien!
But I couldn’t argue with Grandmother.
I answered cheerfully,
“Yes! I’ll close my eyes tight!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for Grandmother.
Yet seconds passed, then minutes, and still she said nothing.
‘What’s wrong?’
Wondering if something was amiss, I opened my eyes slightly.
“I can’t understand why.”
“…Yes?”
“There’s no magic power.”
No magic power at all?
“I expected your magic to be weak, but I never imagined it would be completely, utterly absent.”
I sighed in disappointment.
Truthfully, I’d suspected as much since I’d always been frail, but to have absolutely none…
‘Wait—was my body really this weak? Can’t even produce magic?’
“But…”
An astonished voice reached my deeply discouraged ears.
“Something inside your body feels like it’s colliding. How could this be?”
“Um…”
Every time Grandmother touched me, I felt something clinking faintly inside me—though the sensation was extremely weak.
I spoke cautiously.
“It feels like a ball bouncing around inside my body.”
“How strange.”
Grandmother’s words made me flinch.
‘Could this be related to my “reincarnator’s penalty”?’
But I shook my head inwardly.
The “reincarnator’s penalty” the god told me about had nothing to do with magic power—it only imposed restrictions when I tried to actively apply my knowledge of this world.
“I’ve never seen a case like this before.”
Leonhardt quietly added from beside me.
“Take off the Fairy’s necklace, genius. It might be because of that.”
But Grandmother cut him off immediately.
“No. It’s not because of that Fairy necklace.”
“Oh…”
I started to say something but hesitated.
‘So my body is abnormal for unknown reasons—and on top of that, my magic capacity is the lowest possible.’
It felt like one mountain after another. I had exactly one month left until the one who would kill Father and me arrived!
At this rate, even if I stole the protagonists’ artifacts, it would be pointless.
Using mid-tier or higher artifacts might require magic power anyway.
I stared blankly at the Duchess, trying to nod in agreement with her words—but my heart was so heavy I wasn’t sure if my nod even counted.
Seeing my suddenly gloomy expression, the Duchess’s face darkened as well.
“Disappointed?”
“No…”
Oops—that answer clearly showed disappointment to anyone watching.
Grandmother studied me briefly, deep in thought.
“Hmm…”
“There must be another way… to become as strong as Hammi, right?”
“Yes. Well, the fact that you can’t wield magic simply means—you’re a special child. Don’t despair. I, too, was once like you…”
I wondered what sentence would follow “I, too, was once like you…”
I watched Grandmother, waiting for her next words—but they never came. Instead, Leonhardt beside me continued,
“A special child… as expected…”
I deliberately ignored Leonhardt’s wistful gaze and turned back to Grandmother with sparkling eyes.
But Grandmother seemed unwilling to continue her earlier statement.
“Well, in any case, Cien. I’ll have to teach you differently.”
“…A special method, you mean?”
At Leonhardt’s question, Grandmother nodded.
“I’ll need more time to think of the best way to refine you. You’re clever enough—you could even become an administrator.”
Inwardly, I shook my head firmly.
Administrators are weak.
If I just sit quietly using my brain, Axel might kill me in one stroke.
‘I can’t become an administrator, and I don’t have time to wait until I gain strength!’
I clenched my fists and looked at Grandmother.
She flinched slightly and asked,
“Why are you staring so wide-eyed, child?”
I unclenched my fists and grabbed tightly onto Grandmother’s collar.
‘If I can’t become strong myself, I’ll surround myself with powerful allies.’
In this world, “special people” weren’t just mages—and I roughly knew who the strong figures were.
“Hammi!”
“…What is it?”
“I need you to take me somewhere!”
I gripped Grandmother’s collar even tighter.
‘If I have no magic, then I’ll just use the knowledge I have as a reincarnator!’
My request was to visit “Senoa Temple,” an annex of the Papal See. My stated reason was to pray to the god for power.
At my sudden request, Grandmother rubbed her dry eyes a few times before nodding. I even heard her mutter through her teeth, “Poor thing—asking to go to the temple as a favor.”
“Hammi?”
“…I sent you a gift. Have you received it?”
“A gift?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, Grandmother murmured,
“Not yet. It’s nothing much, but it’ll be useful.”
Whether something “nothing much” to villainous Grandmother would also be “nothing much” to me remained uncertain—but what mattered was that she’d immediately granted my request.
‘Grandmother seems to pity me, but that’s fine. What matters is that I’ve gotten into the temple.’
Thanks to Grandmother’s influence, I entered the temple right away. Though she was ostracized by the villainous ducal family, it seemed her former authority still held weight.
‘I’ll become a granddaughter who surpasses Grandmother—rising above one’s teacher!’
Whether “rising above one’s teacher” was the right idiom here didn’t matter. I took a deep, powerful breath, gazing at the Papal annex temple before me.
“Hoo, ha. Hoo, ha!”
There might be a group of fools staring oddly at me as I breathed hard—but that didn’t matter at all. I had a mission: to shake off the tension clawing at my heart, and my eyes sparkled with resolve.
‘Calm down, Cien. Don’t be so nervous.’
I squeezed my soft hands until they turned stiff, blinked rapidly, and marched forcefully into the temple.
I swung my tiny hands vigorously, marching briskly like a soldier.
Yes, I was clearly following the Maid Sisters’ strides, taking each step with great effort.
But something felt odd. Porurur—I walked diligently, yet the temple entrance never appeared no matter how long I went.
“Huh.”
“Shall I carry you, little one?”
“Mm!”
As I was swiftly hoisted onto the maids’ backs like a sack of luggage, I thought: Good thing I brought our Muscular Maid Sisters—it’s dangerous here!
Though this was a small temple on the outskirts, a temple was still a temple, and it wasn’t particularly friendly toward villainous families.
That meant there might be people here who disliked me.
Grandmother had provided me with minimal safety measures for my solo trip to the temple, and Leonhardt had held my hand tightly, not letting go for even three seconds.
I had barely a month left until Axel Mirmod returned.
There were only a few things I could do.
Gather allies, interfere with Axel Mirmod’s “war” to delay his return as much as possible, and in the meantime, build enough strength to stand against him!
‘Let’s go in first!’
There wasn’t a moment to spare.
I vigorously wiggled my short, plump legs and nestled snugly into the Maid Sisters’ arms as we entered the temple.
After entering the temple this way,
I quickly scanned the interior and recalled once more the contents of “The Life of Melodia.”
The Saint of the God, Melodia.
She gently led those who didn’t believe in the god toward faith through love. She comforted evildoers with kindness.
Though her divine power was exceptional, she opposed villains—including the Mirmod family—relying on holy relics bestowed by the god and noble Holy Knights.
And the very place where she first rose to fame as a saint was this temple—the Senoa Temple, filled with irises.
Though my situation was urgent, I couldn’t possibly steal all the holy relics and every Holy Knight Melodia had discovered.
I only intended to take one.
‘I’ll take the strongest Holy Knight Melodia possesses.’
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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